Dinosaurs may have been smarter than we think. Some of them may still be. That’s because they live in space and fly around in ships based on technology 65 million years more advanced than that of Starfleet. When that asteroid headed for Earth all those years ago, these hadrosaurs said sayonara to the planet’s mammals.

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Zachary Fruhling and Aaron Harvey to discuss one of Voyager’s most unusual stories, “Distant Origin.” Does the science work? Does it even matter? We follow Voth scientists Gegen and Veer as they put together a galaxy-spanning puzzle made of 47 pieces. We discuss how the story parallels Galileo, Star Trek’s evolutionary arrow, the holodeck as a scientific instrument, the mating rituals of mammals, and more.

Plus, in our news segment, we debate the new name for the JJ Abrams rendition of Star Trek and take a look at the newly refurbished USS Enterprise model, now back on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

When you live on a starship, you get to know your neighbors.
Sometimes you get to know them well. Especially if you’re Seven of
Nine and you’re taking an interest in interpersonal relations.
Armed with Borg implants and 24th-century Starfleet technology,
gathering data is easy. The only problem is that some of your
subjects may not want to be part of the study.

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Charlynn
Schmiedt, Zachary Fruhling, and Phillip Gilfus to discuss “Someone
to Watch Over Me.” Join us for the Dance of Conception as the
Doctor teaches Seven how to land a date, sweep him off his feet …
and break his arm … all while mastering the art of small talk.
We also delve into the potential of a Doctor-Seven relationship,
what happens when you leave Neelix in charge of caring for
diplomats, and the exploits of Leisure Suit Kadi.

In our news segment, we discuss Star Trek: The Animated Series
coming to Blu-ray, supposed pre-production photos from the new
series, and we debate the StarTrek.com poll that asked which was
the best Star Trek relationship.

Voyager is known for telling stories that rely heavily on
technobabble. Sometimes it supports the story, sometimes it
doesn’t. Season Two’s “Deadlock” is one of those cases in which
technobabble was inescapable, but also necessary. How else do you
explain two Voyager’s, two disheveled buns of steel, and Harry
Kim’s dopplegänger?

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Larry
Nemecek, Charlynn Schmiedt, and Brandon-Shea Mutala to discuss the
oddity that is “Deadlock,” parallel universes, Vidiians,
generational ships, Chakotay’s weird baby comments, an inordinate
number of script changes, and much more.

In our news segment, we look back at 19 years of First Contact
and 29 years of The Voyage Home, talk with Terrace Cassidy about
Geek Nation Tours’ new “Touch the Stars” program, and try to
unravel the mysterious case of Enterprise stunt director Vince
Deadrick’s disappearing chair.

As Voyager entered its final season, fans had a lot of
questions. Would the crew get home? Would it happen before the
finale? Would Neelix and Seven make the trip to Earth? Would
Janeway and Chakotay finally hook up? Would Harry die one more
time? Lots of questions. We know what we ultimately got on screen,
but what went on behind the scenes?

In this special episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by
someone who was there in the writers room, Mike Sussman. After
successfully selling the story that would become “Unimatrix Zero,”
Mike then landed a spot of the writing staff for Voyager’s final
season, and would go on to become a writer and producer on
Enterprise.

Mike joins C Bryan Jones, Larry Nemecek, and Charlynn Schmiedt
to discuss many moments and aspects of Season Seven, including “The
Haunting of Deck Twelve,” “Prophecy,” “Repentance,” and of course
“Unimatrix Zero” and the Borg. We also discuss writing The Doctor,
stories pitched but not produced, the development of Enterprise
while wrapping Voyager, and much more.

In our news segment, we discuss a restoration project for the
original Enterprise filming model, get an update on Portal 47, and
look back at the impact of Robert Wise and The Motion Picture on
Star Trek.

News
Red Shirt Diaries Season Two Premiere (00:01:54)
Restoring the original Enterprise shooting model (00:08:09)
Robert Wise and the impact of The Motion Picture (00:18:55)
Portal 47 update (00:33:29)

Feature: Voyager Season Seven with Mike Sussman
Going from Fan to Staff Writer (00:44:59)
Mike’s Early Spec Scripts and Pitches (00:54:00)
Joining the Voyager Staff (01:01:06)
The Haunting of Deck Twelve (01:07:30)
Third Chances and the Enterprise Transition (01:13:34)
Voyager in the Shadow of Enterprise (01:18:20)
Prophecy and Delta Quadrant Klingons (01:20:48)
Unimatrix Zero and the Borg (01:28:48)
Repentance (01:34:32)
Writing the Doctor (01:38:49)
A Talented Writing Team (01:42:06)
Voyager’s (Alternate) Ending(s) (01:44:20)
Conflicts with Enterprise? (01:51:05)
Looking Back as a Fan (01:54:11)

When Voyager first started making its way home from the Delta Quadrant, the crew were full of hope that they would find a way home that was as quick as the one that stranded them. In “Eye of the Needle,” such a thing almost happened, and the helping hand came from a familiar foe: the Romulans.

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt, Will Nguyen, and Zachary Fruhling to discuss this story from when Voyager was still fresh, the Doctor’s identity dilemma, the crew’s family connections, and the science behind it all.

In our news segment we take a first look at Hallmark’s 2016 Star Trek ornaments lineup, William Shatner and the Autobiography of Captain James T. Kirk, and discuss Idris Elba’s role as lead villain in the first Peggverse film.

Hosts

C Bryan Jones and Charlynn Schmiedt

Guests

Will Nguyen and Zachary Fruhling

Editor and Producer

C Bryan Jones

Executive Producers

Matthew Rushing and Norman C. Lao

Associate Producers

Renee Roberts and Zachary Fruhling

Production Manager

Richard Marquez

Content Manager

Will Nguyen

News

First look at Hallmark’s 2016 ornaments (00:05:42)

Shatner reads Captain Kirk’s autobiography (00:18:06)

Idris Elba and Star Trek Beyond’s lead villain (00:22:59)

Feature: Eye of the Needle

Initial Thoughts (00:33:14)

The Science of It All (00:43:48)

Delta Debbie Downer (00:58:14)

The Doctor’s Identity Crisis (01:04:38)

All in the Family (01:14:58)

Too Soon to the Well? (01:20:16)

Final Thoughts (01:28:25)

Send us your feedback!

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Someone didn’t have their coffee this morning. And when you’re a starship captain with little faith in your first officer, you gotta have your joe. There’s never enough time to do everything that needs to be done, and keeping the ship running smoothly has left Janeway with little time to eat (but apparently time to go goth—not in the way you think).

In this episode of The Ready Room, we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt, Suzanne Abbott, and Phillip Gilfus to unravel the mysteries of “Persistence of Vision,” Janeway’s exhaustion and hallucinations that may be caused by a creepy alien (but may be due to problems with the holodeck… or both), why Sybok is in the Delta Quadrant, and, of course, to get down with Mrs. Templeton.

In our news segment we share our thoughts on the Latino Review article claiming that CBS is preparing to bring Star Trek back to television, Simon Pegg’s comments about the next film, and we kick off our traditional speculation on a possible villain (this time we’re sure it’s not Khan).

Hosts

Christopher Jones and Charlynn Schmiedt

Guests

Suzanne Abbott and Phillip Gilfus

Editor and Producer

Christopher Jones

Associate Producer

Renee Roberts

Production Manager

Richard Marquez

Content Coordinator

Will Nguyen

News

CBS looking to being Star Trek back to TV? (00:04:13)

Simon Pegg, Idris Elba, and Star Trek 3 (00:14:06)

Feature: Persistence of Vision

Intro and Synopsis (00:22:50)

Gothic Janeway (00:27:20)

Grumpy Janeway (00:37:31)

Lonely Janeway (00:46:26)

Tom’s Mystery Dad (00:51:16)

Voyager’s Sybok (00:55:15)

B’Ekotay (00:59:54)

Random Notes (01:04:42)

Final Thoughts (01:14:28)

Closing (01:21:47)

Send us your feedback!

Twitter: @trekfm

Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm

Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm

Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact

Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm

Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm

Support the Network!

Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm

How much would you pay for Federation membership? Apparently in the Delta Quadrant you can get quick approval if you’ve got enough money—or ten kilotons of bolomite. Given that Voyager was constantly leaving her influence behind as she made her way back to Earth, it’s surprising that more aliens didn’t try impersonating the crew for their own gain. We know that at least one group did, and they played the part with unwavering dedication—especially in the case of faux Tuvok.

In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt and Matthew Rushing to discuss “Live Fast and Prosper,” the Dala who would be Janeway, Bizarro Chakotay, and Mobar, the alien who truly believed he was Vulcan.

In our news segment we discuss the 20th anniversary of Voyager as we remember the premiere of “Caretaker,” and debate the results of StarTrek.com’s poll about which doctor fans would most want as their own.

Hosts

Christopher Jones and Charlynn Schmiedt

Guest

Matthew Rushing

Editor and Producer

Christopher Jones

Associate Producer

Renee Roberts

Production Manager

Richard Marquez

Content Coordinator

Will Nguyen

News

Remembering 20 Years of Voyager (00:02:49)

Poll: The doctor fans would most want as their own is… (00:15:04)

Feature: Live Fast and Prosper

Intro and Synopsis (00:23:34)

Loose Lips Sink Ships (00:27:22)

Imposters! (00:32:29)

Reputation Harmed (00:42:58)

Flaws In Execution (00:51:05)

Doctor In Drag (00:58:44)

One Redeeming Thing (01:06:15)

Final Thoughts (01:13:32)

Closing (01:20:39)

Send us your feedback!

Twitter: @trekfm

Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm

Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm

Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact

Visit the Trek.fm website at http://trek.fm

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Support the Network!

Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm

Have you ever felt that Star Trek episodes are a bit too talky? A bit too “high and mighty”? Ever wish you could have a dash of Rambo with your Star Trek? Well, Brannon Braga thought so and thus sent Janeway—ripped biceps, tank top, and all—to save the crew from a giant bug infestation in the third-season episode “Macrocosm.”

In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Phillip Gilfus, Charlynn Schmiedt, and Suzanne Abbott to discuss the germ-filled episode, how well it succeeds in achieving Braga’s goals, its role as CGI testbed for later Voyager, the space podcasting of Neelix, and the origins of the Tak Tak language. If you listen long enough, you may even find out about the Tak Tak version of William Shatner.

In our news segment, we find out what Ensign Williams needs in order to record her second set of Red Shirt Diaries, debate which Enterprise would be the best to captain, and take a moment to reflect on the recent tragedy involving Virgin Galactic.

Hosts

Christopher Jones and Phillip Gilfus

Guests

Charlynn Schmiedt and Suzanne Abbott

Editor and Producer

Christopher Jones

Associate Producer

Renee Roberts

News

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo crashes during test flight (3:39)

Help make The Red Shirt Diaries Season Two a reality (9:49)

Poll: Which Enterprise would you choose to captain? (17:41)

Feature: Macrocosm

Intro and Synopsis (26:38)

The Language of the Tak Tak (30:26)

Neelix: Space Podcaster (38:02)

Getting Gooed On (40:15)

Looking for Some Action (43:51)

Too Much Rambo? (52:48)

CGI Test Run (58:29)

Footloose and Fancy Free (1:04:29)

Ambassador Neelix (1:10:22)

Vibrating Chakotay (1:13:23)

The Doctor Needs Directions? (1:15:42)

Final Thoughts (1:20:24)

Closing (1:27:55)

Send us your feedback!

Twitter: @trekfm

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Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm

Reginald Barclay is a fan favorite from The Next Generation despite appearing in only five episodes. But did you realize he appeared in more episodes of Voyagerthan TNG? It took the writers a long while to bring Reg back after his appearance in the second-season episode “Projections,” but once they did he played a key role in getting Voyager home starting with “Pathfinder” in Season Six.

In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Charlynn Schmiedt, Suzanne Abbott, and Jaime Sanchez to discuss Barclay's counseling session with Deanna Troi, his status as top dog of coolness amongst the holographic Voyager crew, what the episode says about those with addictions, and whether or not there should have been more stories throughout the series about Starfleet's search for the missing ship.

In our news segment we look at Rittenhouse Archives' new alien trading cards series, imagine which card series would reel us in, find out what Starship Farraguthas in store for fans, and get an inside scoop on the prospects for DS9 Blu-rays viaThe Digital Bits.

Hosts

Christopher Jones and Charlynn Schmiedt

Guests

Suzanne Abbott and Jaime Sanchez

Editor and Producer

Christopher Jones

Associate Producer

Renee Roberts

News

Rittenhouse Archives unveils new alien trading cards (2:40)

The Digital Bits fields DS9 Blu-ray question (9:45)

Starship Farragut launches Kickstarter for "The Crossing" (15:58)

Join our discussion in The Babel Conference (20:25)

Support Trek.fm through Patreon (25:02)

Sponsor: Audible (27:15)

Feature: Pathfinder

Intro and Synopsis (30:09)

Initial Thoughts (37:02)

Reg and Deanna, Welcome Back (45:56)

Crossing the Boundaries of TOS and TNG (53:33)

Starfleet Remembers Voyager! (56:48)

Commentary on Holo-addiction (1:04:58)

Over the Top or Just Right? (1:17:23)

Final Thoughts (1:20:20)

Closing and Feedback (1:27:52)

Support the Network!

Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm

Over the years Starfleet crews have faced off against a dizzying array of opponents. Mainstream baddies like Klingons, Romulans, and Borg are formidable but straightforward. Technical glitches like holodeck malfunctions or sentient silicon are also fairly routine. But what happens when your opponent isn’t something tangible but rather an emotion? We’ve gone on yellow alert against out own imaginations, but when the personification of Fear comes around it’s not quite so easy to just stop thinking about it. As the Clown said, when your only reality is an illusion, then illusion is reality.

In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Megan Calcote of Educating Geeks, Miles McLoughlin of The Scifi Diner, and Charlynn Schmiedt of To The Journey to discuss Voyager's encounter with Fear in the second-season episode "The Thaw," the mixed fan reception this episode has gotten over the years, the unique nature of the story and the visuals—including the Marvin Rush's inspiration as the director—the importance of having a hologram around, and how fear can both benefit and cripple us under different circumstances.

In our news segment we share our thoughts on the ten best Klingons as selected at One Trek Mind Live at Star Trek Las Vegas, recap convention cosplay, and discuss Brannon Braga's thoughts on Seven of Nine and her role on Voyager.

When Voyager premiered, it seemed a given that the fan-favorite Q would turn up on the series. But the producers were cautious in using John de Lancie’s character yet again. As loved as Q was, he always ran the risk of being a one-verse song played over and over—a danger highlighted by his single appearance on Deep Space Nine. The door to Q’s return was finally opened by an unexpected hand, that of Michael Piller’s son, Shawn. Having overheard his dad pondering the problem, he began pitching the idea that became “Death Wish.” And from this idea grew one of the most poignant Q episodes in all of Star Trek.

In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Charlynn Schmiedt, Suzanne Abbott, and Scott Hertzog of The SciFi Diner to discuss how Q's character grew through this story that tackles some very difficult and divisive issues, including assisted suicide, treatment of prisoners, and the rights of individuals versus the good of society.

In our news segment we take a look at Cross Cult's new covers for Kirsten Beyer's Full Circle and Unworthy, discuss how Data may have gotten his Federation citizenship (as described by "The Measure of a Man" writer Melinda Snodgrass), and ponder a proposed perfect RetKHAN to Star Trek Into Darkness.

Jeri Taylor wrote the book on Janeway. Literally. Two of them in fact! So it was no surprise that a third-season story about Janeway's death came from her pen. "Coda" pulls together a number of familiar Star Trek themes to explore issues of death, how it affects both the survivors and the deceased, and even throws in a Dying Swan for good measure. In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Charlynn Schmiedt, Tristan Riddell, and Suzanne Abbott to discuss Janeway's brush with death, Chakotay's outpouring of emotion, what Jeri Taylor brings to Janeway that other writers can't, and whether or not this mishmash of ideas comes together to create a satisfying whole.

In our news segments we find out where the next Destination Star Trek with land, take a peek at Patrick Stewart's new TV series, learn about the latest honor for William Shatner—this time from NASA—and find out what decision almost made in 1966 could have changed the course of Star Trek.

Aliens performing experiments on the crew without their knowledge is nothing new for Star Trek. The Next Generation did it to very creepy effect in “Schisms.” Enterprise also did it—in a somewhat different way—in “Observer Effect.” But Voyager delivered perhaps the most entertaining lab rats-in-space story in the Season Four episode “Scientific Method.”

In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Charlynn Schmiedt, Phillip Gilfus, and Daniel Proulx to talk about Tom and B’Elanna getting busy in engineering, Seven and the Doctor wearing tights, a potential Chakotay-Neelix spinoff, Janeway channeling Sisko, and, for some reason, Muppet fanfic.

In our news segment we take a look at a theatrical run for Shatner's World, Leonard Nimoy and the Boston Pops, QMx's salvaging of the Voyager commbadge, and StarTrek.com's interview with Susan Gibney—the Almost-Janeway.

Faces.

We all have different sides that make us who we are. The Original Series explored this masterfully in Richard Matheson’s story of Kirk’s struggle to live with only his good or evil half in “The Enemy Within.” When Voyager rolled around nearly 30 years later, the writers once again took us to the realm of Jekyll and Hyde incarnate with “Faces,” the story of B’Elanna’s struggle between her Klingon and human halves. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt and Mariel Keeran to discuss what the story has in common with “The Enemy Within” and where it differs, how the loss of each side affected the other as B’Elanna coped with being fully Klingon and fully human, and how the writers could have taken a bold step on Voyager and turned the actions of the Vidiians into an incredible character arc.

In news we examine the winners of the WeLoveFine Star Trek t-shirt design contest, get you ready for Star Trek Online’s debut on Mac, learn about the return of Michael Dorn as Worf in STO, share our thoughts on the rumours of Joe Cornish directing the next Abramsverse film, and get the details of the Japanese Blu-ray release of Star Trek Into Darkness (are all the extras available in one set?). Plus, we find out which energy drink will be sponsoring the next Parrises squares championship.

The Voyager Conspiracy.

Alcoves have many uses. There's the obvious one—regeneration—but there are less common ones as well, like playing Matlock. When Seven decided she could analyse data better than the crew or the ship's computer, she found herself being pulled down a rabbit hole infested with photonic fleas. In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Charlynn Schmiedt, Phillip Gilfus, and Daniel Proulx to discuss "The Voyager Conspiracy," why exactly Seven wanted to download 30 million teraquads of data into her brain in the first place, and just who exactly Naomi Wildman is working for.

In our news segment we find out what Gates McFadden and Brent Spiner have brewing on stage, how Gates is using Vine as a promotional tool, debate which Trek series has the best theme music is, and look at Bruce E. Drushel's new anthology Fan Phenomena: Star Trek.

The Q and the Grey.

Q was a constant thorn in Picard’s side. He put the Enterprise crew on trial for the crimes of humanity, introduced humans to the Borg, kidnapped Vash, and sent the Captain spiralling through time. Through it all, one thing he never did with Jean Luc was try to procreate. But that’s exactly what he tried to do with Janeway in “The Q and the Grey.” In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt, Darren Moser, and Mike Rittenhouse to discuss a Q’s guide to romance, how John de Lancie’s character fits into Voyager compared to TNG, how the episode rewrites the very nature of the Q, and the battle for the future of the Continuum.

In our news segment we preview the festivities slated for Star Trek Las Vegas, fill you in on a special convention panel for Larry Nemecek’s Stellar Cartography, and we say goodbye to Michael Ansara, who played Kang—one of Star Trek’s original Klingons. Plus, we unveil our plan for solving the world economic crisis using custom Star Trek email accounts.

Thirty Days.

Tom Paris started his life on Voyager as the carefree badboy. But over the course of seven seasons he grew more than perhaps any other character. The journey was not without its bumps though, as was the case when he found himself back in prison—or at least the brig—after violating Janeway’s orders under Monean waters. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Tristan Riddell and Daniel Proulx to discuss “Thirty Days” and how, though it meant a demotion for Tom, it showed he had learned to care about things bigger than himself.

In our news segment we look at the Saturn Award win for the TNG remastered team, the TNG Season Five Blu-ray trailer, a Star Trek t-shirt design contest, and Chris finally gets to talk a bit about his impressions of Star Trek Into Darkness. Plus, we remember the prolific writing career of Richard Matheson, who passed away on June 23.

Real Life.

When the USS Voyager was pulled across the galaxy by the Caretaker Array, each person on the ship left a family member behind. All but one that is. As a hologram the Doctor had no family to lose; yet he still wanted to find out what it would be like if he did. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt, Colin Higgins, and Lorrie Sears to discuss the Doctor’s grand family experiment in “Real Life.” Along the way we also find out how a classic 20th Century song inspired Tom Paris to fly into space eddies, how Janeway deals with windy dangers, and ponder the Delta Quadrant’s bovine deficiency.

In news we look at the TNG Season Four Blu-ray set, new reviews and alternate poster artwork for the TOS films from CromeYellow.com and artist Matt Ferguson, Star Trek-themed checks from Checks In the Mail, the Star Trek Into Darkness world premiere tour, two new teasers from the film, and Paramount’s UK “Where’s Scotty?” promotion. Plus, we reveal what buttons we’d want on our Captain’s chair and find out how the Into Darkness scuba suits were inspired by Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Fair Haven and Spirit Folk.

Being stranded 70,000 light years from the Federation, with just a small ship to call home, meant that the crew of Voyager really loved their holodecks. Tom enjoyed creating new locales for his shipmates, and sooner or later he was bound to go Irish. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Matthew Rushing and To The Journey’s Charlynn Schmiedt and Tristan Riddell to discuss Voyager’s Irish duology “Fair Haven” and “Spirit Folk.” They’re episodes fans love to hate, but there are some important questions asked amidst the cows and barfights—particularly about Janeway.

In news we remember actor Malachi Throne, who passed away on March 13, and we gather the latest on other Star Trek actors including Chris Pine being named Male Star of the Year, Patrick Stewart calling for an end to violence against women, plus new projects for Scott Bakula, Karl Urban, John Billingsley, and John Cho. We also examine the beautiful packaging and menu screens for the Enterprise Season One Blu-ray set, and speculate on the likelihood of the third J.J. film dropping in 2016. Oh… and there could be an unexpected pairing in Star Trek Into Darkness.

11:59.

The year 1999 brought us the Y2K bug, Will Smith sampling The Clash, and the Newmannium. It also brought us The Millennium Gate and the story of Captain Janeway’s great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother in the uniquely named “11:59.” In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt and Matthew Rushing to discuss this tale set in Indiana at the dawn of the 21st century, how the family story of Shannon O’Donnell inspired Kathryn Janeway, and the importance of finding solid relationships, letting go, and charting new courses into the future.

In news we talk about which series fans told StarTrek.com they’d most like to see next on Blu-ray, Jonathan Frakes’s desire for the TNG cast to reunite in a future J.J. Abrams movie, and an onslaught of Star Trek Into Darkness news. What do we know about John Harrison—and is that really his name? What is Alice Eve’s take on Carol Marcus? Will J.J. Abrams’s involvement in Star Trek be limited to a trilogy? Why did Abrams tell MTV that this movie was not made for Star Trek fans? And what connection does Smaug the Dragon have to the detonation of the fleet and all it stands for? Step into The Ready Room and find out.

Star Trek is littered with episodes that revolve around the holodeck. But few holodeck programs have been as much pure fun as Tom Paris’s Captain Proton. Having been introduced in Voyager’s fifth-season premiere, “Night,” The Adventures of Captain Proton gave birth to a black-and-white romp through the world of 1930s’ sci-fi B-movies. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt and Matthew Rushing to discuss the centerpiece of Voyager’s Captain Proton series, “Bride of Chaotica.” We also reveal a few things you may not have known about the holodeck.

In news we cover the TNG Blu-ray price drop, the winter 2012 issue of Star Trek Magazine, ThinkGeek’s Trek Socks, the latest entries Hive and Ongoing comics from IDW, and we play with the new “Shatoetry” app. We also explore which series had the best overall music. You might even find a Star Wars reference of two.

The relationship between Janeway and Chakotay was filled with emotional and sexual tension—or at least promise—from the start. And Voyager fans waited patiently through the first two seasons to find out if the writers would actually go anywhere with it. In the next-to-last episode of the second season, the one person who should have been able to resolve the issue penned a story with the promising title “Resolutions.” But the real question is whether or not the show was capable of delving into the issue on a meaningful level. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Charlynn Schmiedt and Lorrie Sears to discuss “Resolutions” and find out if Jeri Taylor hit the mark as Kathy and Coco shack up on the love planet.

In news we focus on the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation with a whole gaggle of stories about the TNG cast and their missions. And we hope you like primates, because this week we’re all about the monkey. So hop in and let’s go. Allons-y!!!

For someone whose sworn mission was to get her crew home, Kathryn Janeway sure made a lot of unnecessary pitstops. One in particular landed the crew in the ultimate Prime Directive quandary—the kind they don’t even teach you about at the Academy. What do you do when your ship inadvertently becomes the corner of a civilization’s entire belief system and the impetus for their social and technological advancement? Well, of course, you write a book report about it! But after that, how do you set things back on the right track? In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by our Voyager editor Charlynn Schmiedt to discuss the episode “Blink of an Eye.”

In news we cover a chance to win a trip to Star Trek London, a special offer on Koenig Star Celebration tickets, the Wrath of Khan screening with Nicholas Meyer in North Carolina, TrekMate’s 24-hour Podathon for charity, 10 things you may not have known about DS9, and we remember Neil Armstrong and William Windom. Plus Chris and Greg return to their Southern roots.

If one thing was clear by Voyager’s second season it was that Harry Kim needed to get more action. Of course, we mean he needed more to do on the show than just stand at Ops and press buttons, turn down girls, or die in alien burial rituals. What he needed was to get away from it all and stand on his own. The writers gave Harry just that chance when he was fell into an alternate reality, waking to find himself in San Francisco. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined Trek.fm Voyager Editor Charlynn Schmiedt and DorkTrek’s Ben McCormick to discuss the “Non Sequitur” that is Harry Kim as a Starfleet warp theorist, Harry Kim as a man on the verge of promotion, Harry Kim in bed with a girl.

In news we cover Trek Nation’s digital download release, William Shatner’s “Get a Life!”, Virgin Media and CBS bringing Star Trek: The Original Series and The Animated Series to TiVo in the UK, TNG Remastered and the CGI Enterprise, plus the latest batch of movie news and rumors—including what happens to Karl Urban after a 22-hour flight. Plus, we explain the real reason why tech gadgets are so bulky in the Star Trek universe.

It took Voyager seven seasons to make her way across the Delta Quadrant, and during that time we were teased with Klingons on occasion. There were holographic Klingons, Klingon Borg, a vivid dream about Klingons, and even a photograph of a Klingon. But for the real thing we had to wait until near the end of the seven-year journey. Finally, Janeway and her crew crossed paths with real warriors—three generations removed—and a little old-school pre-Khitomer action was served up. Oh… and Neelix got lucky, too.

In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Larry Nemecek, who penned the original story, to talk about “Prophecy” and the long and winding road that finally led to the story of B’Elanna and Tom’s magical baby.

In news we cover Levar Burton and J.J. Abrams at Apple’s WWDC 2012, Television Critics Association Awards nominations for William Shatner and Star Trek: The Original Series, a Gorn appearance in the upcoming Star Trek console game, Mary Czerwinski and Brandi Clark’s Glue Guns and Phasers, and lots of news and rumors about the next Star Trek film. Plus we grow enormous mustaches, redesign Starfleet uniforms (for the better), and Greg gets really serious.

It’s been called the worst episode of Voyager, the worst episode of Star Trek, and elicited an a negative reaction from fans like few episodes ever have. Yes, it’s “Threshold,” a tale of fast times and lizard love. But is it really as bad everyone says? At the core there are interesting concepts of what it means the be human and of the nature of our existence. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by Trek.fm Voyager editor and co-host of The Delta Quadrant Charlynn Schmiedt along with Trek News & Views host Colin Higgins to examine the good moments of “Threshold” as well as where it goes off the tracks.

In news we cover new details about the upcoming release of TNG on Blu-ray—including a release date, pricing, a new Crystalline Entity, and missing footage—plus a Tribble invasion of IDW comics, a sequel to “The Inner Light,” Vulcan Tourism’s transporter app, Scott Bakula’s thought on the cancellation of Enterprise, and some news about the next J.J. movie.

During the third season of Voyager we were treated to one of the more creative stories in the series, a classic time travel tale that took us back to the year 1996. The episode introduced the term Temporal Prime Directive (a concept that also popped up in DS9’s “Trials and Tribble-ations,” which interestingly aired just two days before “Future’s End.”) The story also marked a critical turning point for The Doctor, who became, you could say, “footloose and fancy-free” for the remainder of the series by obtaining his mobile emitter. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by two of the hosts of The Delta Quadrant podcast, JD Onesi and Charlynn Schmiedt (who is also our Voyager editor) as we discuss the ins and outs of Voyager’s trip back to 20th-century Los Angeles.

In news we cover Norman Spinrad’s lost TOS script He Walked Among Us, Dayton Ward’s new TOS novel That Which Divides, TNG Mounted Memories, new Star Trek busts from Titan Merchandise, and lots of movie news and rumors—including our take on the photos recently leaked by MTV and who we now think Cumberbatch is playing. Plus Greg does an unexpected imitation from another franchise.

The Original Series episode “Amok Time” established the Vulcan mating ritual known as pon farr, the effects it has on male Vulcans, and the rituals surrounding it. When Voyager launched in 1995 it was the first series since TOS to feature a Vulcan as part of the main cast, and so it was inevitable that the writers would revisit this biological trial. When the time came, however, they threw in an unexpected twist. In this episode of The Ready Room we’re joined by our Voyager series editor Charlynn Schmiedt as we discuss the third-season episode “Blood Fever” and how Voyager handled the touchy subject of the pon farr.

In news we cover Priceline killing off Shatner, the ThinkGeek Electronic Door Chime, real-life transparent aluminum, Star Trek Who Wants to be A Millionaire?, updates on the TNG Remastered project, and IDW’s Star Trek Ongoing #5 “Operation: Annihilate!” Plus we take another dip into our bag of rejected Star Trek IV plots and Greg auditions for the role of “Sound Effects Guy” on Star Trek: The Original Series.

When Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor set out to create the third live-action Star Trek spinoff they were faced with an enormous challenge. The franchise had become so weighted down by more than two decades of stories that it was difficult to find a new way to approach things, and Gene Roddenberry’s no-conflict rule was proving more and more difficult for the writers. Throwing the ship to the other side of the galaxy was one way of starting over with new worlds to explore and new aliens to encounter. But in addition to this an effort was made to break the shackles of the no-conflict rule by forcing Starfleet officers to co-exist with outsiders—the rebel Maquis. It was a good idea in theory, though the success of the approach is certainly questionable. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss the third-season Voyager episode “Worst Case Scenario” and how the Starfleet-Maquis relationship played out in reality.

In news we cover Nichelle Nichols’s 79th birthday, Avery Brooks and Sir Patrick Stewart confirmations for Creation’s 2012 conventions, IDW’s Star Trek Ongoing #4, clues about the next movie that have been hidden in the comics, and we preview two more tracks off of Five Year Mission’s Year Two. Plus Greg sings in Klingon and an unexpected musical guest pops in.

As with TNG and DS9, Voyager reached a turning point at the end of its third season. The episode “Scorpion” brought several changes and new elements to the show that shaped the future direction of the journey through the Delta Quadrant. The Borg, Seven of Nine, and even internal conflict that had been missing from the show, all come together to help Voyager grow up a bit. In this episode of The Ready Room we discuss “Scorpion” as well as the nature of Voyager before and after this turning point. In news we look at the possibility of Benicio Del Toro being cast as Star Trek’s next villain, tractor beams, The Captains on Netflix streaming, Star Trek potato heads, IDW’s Redshirt contest, Star Trek Ongoing #2, and we preview two tracks from Five Year Mission’s upcoming album Year Two.

When Voyager wandered into Krenim space, the events foreshadowed in "Before and After" came to pass with devastating consequences for Janeway and her crew. It's a plotline that should have lasted an entire season, but it still presented some interesting challenges and provided one of the more meaningful looks into the mind of Chakotay. In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Anthony Davis and Down In Front's Brian Finifter to discuss the two-parter, where it succeeds and where it fails, what we would have handled differently, and why those devastating consequences were ultimately meaningless thanks to the classic Voyager reset button.

In our news segment we look at the first IDW Comic based on the Abramsverse, the IDW Star Trek-Legion of Super-Heroes crossover, the Star Trek VI sequel novel "Cast No Shadows," Star Trek.com’s interview with Jeffrey Combs, Wil Wheaton and Jeri Ryan on Eureka, Netflix's expansion into Latin America and Canada, and the humorous TNG review podcast Dork Trek.